Freelancer

Freelancers are independent contractors who are generally hired by companies or individuals to complete short-term, highly specific projects. When we pay our best gal pal to come in and organize all of our closets because they are out of control...she is freelancing. When we hire our favorite neighbor to replace our hot water heater because he’s got some plumbing experience, he is freelancing. Self-published authors are often freelancers, as are independent real estate agents, app developers, handymen (and handywomen), translators, political campaign advisors…basically, if we get hired on a per-project basis to do something we’re good at, we just might be a freelancer.

Keep in mind that when we say “hired,” we don’t mean that freelancers become an employee of the firm hiring them. Because they don’t. They are considered self-employed and don’t get health benefits or a 401(k) from the companies that hire them. If freelancers want that stuff (and they should), they’ve got to go out and get it themselves. The trade-off is that freelancers can have a lot more employment freedom than their corporate-jobbed friends and neighbors. Why? Because the perks of freelancing typically include flexible hours, the choice of projects, the choice of employers, the option of working from home or telecommuting, and—bonus—there’s almost never a dress code.

Not every job or professional ability is ideal for freelancing. But if we’ve got skillz that could pay the billz outside of the traditional corporate structure, becoming a freelancer might be worth looking into.